catching up on my weekend newspapers today i read an article about the horrendous though inspiring story of this lady, political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, and her oppressed nation of Burma. she is a democracy heroine, leader of the opposition National League for Democracy party ( NLD), she "represents their best and perhaps sole hope that one day there will be an end to the country's military repression" (BBC). Spending ten of the past 16 years in some form of detention under Burma's military regime, she has been in and out of house arrest and prison. suu kyi is currently being held by Burma's military government in virtual solitary confinement at her home in Rangoon since 2003. she was given the nobel peace prize in 1991 for her fight to bring democracy to burma and was hailed "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless" (BBC). inspired by the non-violent means of other civil rights leaders, she organised rallies and travelled the country, urging peace, democratic reform and free election. the army suppressed demonstrations and in 1988 seized power through a coup. national elections in 1990 saw aung san suu kyi's NLD convincingly win polls, despite house arrest and disqualification from standing, the military junta refused hand over of power and obviously remains in power today.
so, for her birthday demonstrations are being held outside burmese embassies and support is offered to her from high profile figures from around the glob, even REM have dedicated a song to her at their concert.
Protesters rally for Suu Kyi's 60th
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15652261%5E23109,00.html
Happy birthday, Aung San Suu Kyi http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/17/opinion/edsuu.php
i know that there are many countries in crisis, opressive regimes and military repression, sadly more unfairly imprisoned people than we could ever imagine... not to mention david hicks (who deserves all the media and national attention given to buxom, green eyed attractive sharpelle corby), but i hadnt really heard much about burma or anything about this totally inspiring lady and it spoke to something within me. no matter how feminist this sounds, it was great to read about a woman making an impact like she has and a political one at that... even though her efforts have come with a huge price of her freedom.
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